Using Appreciative Inquiry in the Vancouver School District: A Positive Approach to Enhance Learning. Mary Filleul Barbara Rowland

Transcription

1 Using Appreciative Inquiry in the Vancouver School District: A Positive Approach to Enhance Learning Mary Filleul Barbara Rowland What is Appreciative Inquiry? Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an organizational change method which uncovers what is working well in a system and finds ways to create more of that. AI is about the search for the best in people and their organizations. It mobilizes inquiry with the crafting of the unconditional positive question and, through storytelling, reveals best practice. Instead of a problem solving approach to organizational change, an Appreciative Inquiry unleashes innovation and imagination. Rather than a spiral of negation and systemic criticism, there is an energizing cycle of discover, dream, design and destiny. By honouring the expertise resident in an organization and its people, it builds on positive experiences to spark positive change. For the Vancouver School Board, it is a vehicle to take us where we want to go on our journey to enhance learning. Why an Appreciative Inquiry in the Vancouver School District? In the first year ( ) of a district wide planning process, trustees, district administration and representatives of students, parents, teachers, administrators and all other employee groups collaborated to develop a common understanding of the Vancouver School Board s core purpose. A commitment also was made to foster coherence throughout the system. The VSB s core purpose states it is our collective responsibility as a school district to ensure the highest quality of learning experiences for all students, with a focus on student engagement, learning and development, in a safe, inclusive environment (VSB 2004). The district planning process was sustained and refined the following year ( ) and the core purpose further clarified. It was recognized that a long term Appreciative Inquiry into understandings of core purpose, and a need for congruence among roles and functions, would support a cultural shift throughout the organization towards a more consistent and

2 Filleul and Rowland Page 2 persistent focus on learning. That project, initiated in the fall of 2005, became The Learning and Development Initiative. Fitting some descriptors of action research, AI is a form of data driven decision making, in which the data set is composed of stakeholders stories. These stories gather and propel the best of all employees knowledge and experience in a forward-looking process to optimize the system s receptiveness to implement change based on the outcomes of the Inquiry. What follows is a description of how the Inquiry was implemented in That process is currently under review and will change somewhat, although not substantially, for next year. Appreciative Inquiry at the District Level During , 9 inquiry sites are participating in AI. A site can be a single school, a grouping of schools, or a group pursuing a common interest. Of the 9 sites, 3 consist of single schools, 5 are groups of combined schools and 1 is a district group. Criteria for site selection include a clear site proposal directly linked to enhancing adolescent learning, the focus of the current year, and a strong team at the site which represents a broadly based sample of the site s formal and informal leaders. Other factors taken into consideration include a broad sample of schools from across the District, and representation from all the adolescent cohorts - adult education, secondary school and upper intermediate grades. This year, in total, 12 elementary, 7 secondary, 3 adult learning centres and 1 district group are involved. District support took the form of one to two non enrolling blocks for site project leaders to coordinate, interview and generally manage the project at the site through to the summit. Release time was also allocated to allow for a fanning out of the interviewing, as well as for meeting time. Each site also was assigned one of the Learning and Development Consultants to offer expertise, support and liaise with the district.

3 Filleul and Rowland Page 3 Appreciative Inquiry at the Sites The AI process involves a 4 D cycle: Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny (Barrett and Fry, 2005). After the site coordinating teams received a two day training in AI, they embarked on the Discovery phase which largely takes place at the sites. Each team had input into developing two district wide questions about learning. For , these were What do educators do that create exceptional learning experiences? and What choices and options offered in educational settings most enhance learning? Each team also developed a series of positive questions more specific to addressing enhancing learning at its site. For example, Main Street Adult Education Center asked What are the advantages of the quarter system? The district and site questions were the basis for interview guides used at the sites to engage as many of the stakeholders as possible in the Inquiry and to uncover what the sites know about learning. People interviewed each other and wrote up the most powerful story they were told. These stories then formed the basis for synergenesis (Bushe, 1995, in which he initially called this synergalysis) meetings at each site where the team, and any other interested participants, read the stories and extracted the key ideas that they revealed about learning. The notes from these meetings then formed the foundation for the development of a site Discovery Document. These documents, with their key stories, insights and illustrations, were distributed to all interested people and became required reading for the two day summits that followed. The documents also were used to develop affirmative topics for each site. These topics became the guiding idea for further discussion about learning at the summits. Examples of affirmative topics are Strengthening student engagement in learning within our community and Creating a healthy community of life long learners at Point Grey. At the summits, participants discussed the findings from the Discovery phase and, with the affirmative topic as their focus, moved into the second D of the AI cycle, the Dream phase. The object of this phase is to encourage participants to create images of the future that are compelling and inspiring around their affirmative topics. As they share these dreams, they discover commonalities in their hopes and wishes and build their sense of connection and community with each other. This stage is very liberating for people as they are provided with

4 Filleul and Rowland Page 4 time to reflect upon and share their visions for their sites. Next, comes the Design phase which gives structure to the collectively held values and aspirations. Participants are encouraged to create practical, actionable descriptions of structures, processes and behaviours that offer pathways to creating the collective dream. Good design statements are created that are provocative in that they stretch or challenge the status quo, yet are grounded and desired. This stage allowed people to see what is involved in making their dreams come true. Finally, the last afternoon of the summit is devoted to the Destiny phase which engages participants in developing innovations and action plans that will ensure the implementation of the design statements and thus their dreams for an enhanced learning environment at their sites. This planning for implementation stage is then taken back to the sites where the site teams are currently busy sharing their experiences with other people who were not able to be at the summits. Design statements are being posted and plans shared and each site has written up a summary of their experiences and a request for funding to assist in implementing their action plans. Benefits of the Appreciative Inquiry Process The process of Appreciative Inquiry, with its emphasis on the positive, has had a profoundly empowering effect upon the majority of people who have taken part in the change initiative. Because the methodology uses a narrative discourse around good experiences to solicit its data, feel good stories and anecdotes about best learning practices abound at the summits. This creates a upbeat feeling for educators about the power of the work they do and, for many, reaffirms their commitment to the profession. As well, a fundamental principle in AI is that of the positive principle, that is, asking positive questions leads to positive change. The momentum for such change comes about only through large amounts of positive affect and social bonding. Questions such as What makes for a great elementary to secondary transition? and What is the best learning experience you ever had? allow AI participants to reflect on what works most effectively for learning and initiates a

5 Filleul and Rowland Page 5 discourse about how to move in that direction. The majority of participants leave an AI summit energized and armed with action plans, both large and small, which they re eager to begin to put into practice. Because the summit structure assumes a level playing field of expertise, (the students experiences of the learning environment are just as legitimate as the principals ), all involved are encouraged to recognize that their contribution is as welcome as any other, which brings a unique and perhaps previously unconsidered perspective to the discussions. One example is the student who was empowered to run for a student leadership position after her summit experience. In that experience she said she couldn t believe that the principal was listening to what she said about the school timetable and was actually taking notes while she spoke. The validation of her perception was sufficient impetus for her to adopt a new, previously unconsidered, challenge. Having an opportunity to collectively share perspectives on learning with parents, support workers and other community stakeholders, is an eye opening lesson in perception. This is a validation of the unique perspective each of us holds in an educational environment. Engaging the school community leaders, both formal and informal, in an Appreciative Inquiry in the VSB, has reaffirmed the significance and power of relationships to motivate and to inspire. School leadership involves setting directions, developing people, reculturing the school, leading the learning program and responding strategically to unique school contexts (Kaser & Halbert, 2006). None of this can take place without a committed team in place, built over time through the recognition of the power of the personal connection. AI facilitates such social experiences which strengthen community and cultural connection among the site s primary and secondary leaders. The opportunity to practice and refine leadership skills is also created in this initiative and many of the site team members are actively involved in other district leadership opportunities, such as the Leadership Development Program. An atypical workshop, the two day AI summit offers structured time for people to sit and talk about their work environment. This discussion and reflection time has been most appreciated by participants as this is impossible to achieve on a workday or even in an hour or so set aside for collaborative time. Being away from school, with like-minded school stakeholders,

6 Filleul and Rowland Page 6 creates a unique opportunity for learning from the organizations successes. Concurrently, it stimulates creativity and builds capacity. Outcomes of Appreciative Inquiry on the Enhancement of Learning There are many similar key ideas at each site that emerged about adolescent learning from the Discovery phase of the Appreciative Inquiry. Adolescents learn best when they experience strong relationships with their teachers and peers, and when they are provided with safe, supportive learning environments. They respond well to teachers who are passionate about their subject matter and /or teaching and are able to inspire a passion for learning. Adolescents thrive on experiential learning and learning beyond the classroom. They want their diverse learning styles to be recognized and accommodated in a flexible environment which provides a lot of choice. From these keys ideas, participants in AI realize that in order to support adolescent learning, innovations and plans need to be developed around certain key categories. For example, sites are working on specific plans to strengthen relationships between the adult education centres, secondary schools, and elementary schools to improve transitions and offer more choices. These involve improved communication, joint professional development days, students being able to attend more than one institution at a time and teachers shadowing each other and learning more about the experiences of students at different schools. The idea of pods for grade eight students to strengthen teacher student relationships is being explored as well as more flexible timetables. Many sites are looking at physical changes to their building that will help create environments more conducive to learning. To enrich learning experiences, teachers are working to strengthen community connections. They are also planning more collaborative opportunities to expand experiential learning and field trips and seeking more professional development around diverse learning styles and teaching strategies. Future Directions of Appreciative Inquiry in the Vancouver School Board The Inquiry will expand over the coming school year to more sites with an emphasis on

7 Filleul and Rowland Page 7 elementary schools. We recognize that elementary and secondary schools have much to learn from each other s environments and have been encouraged by the number of sites from this year that have chosen to focus on transition time. Because our focus was on adolescent learning, transitions as a key theme creates a smooth connection between years one and two of the Inquiry. As well, there will be an Aboriginal Learners Appreciative Inquiry this fall, as the district has emphasized Aboriginal learning as a key priority. A strong convergence is evident between The Learning and Development Initiative with current Vancouver School District s directions and priorities. There are potential links to such district directions as School Growth Planning, Professional Learning Communities, Community Links Teams, Facilities Review and Families of Schools, to name a few. AI will continue to be an important tool in the district s kit to build strengths and enhance learning in each and all of these directions. Conclusion The Appreciative Inquiry initiative has provided an opportunity for many educators and students to reflect upon and become engaged in a positive discussion about what they know around what works for adolescent learners and what they can do to help create more effective learning opportunities in the VSB. It has provided great leadership opportunities for staff to become involved on the coordinating teams, or informally in the work place, and in site wide initiatives to improve learning. AI has compiled a collection of inspiring stories that have provided data on what people know works with regard to adolescent learning. This information may not be news to most people, but its strength is that it has originated from the people in the system who know that it is true. They have ownership of the findings and, with its emphasis on the positive core, AI has created an environment of hope and expectations. AI comes at a time of much public debate about the future of public education. Criticism abounds with the annual publication of the Fraser Institute s school ranking index. Blaming is rampant as everything from funding levels to the School Act is called into question. Everyone seems to hold an expert opinion on this very public institution. For those of us who work in the system, day after day,

8 Filleul and Rowland Page 8 the Appreciative Inquiry process offers a positive shot in the arm as it redirects thinking towards valuing the many, many things that are working well in our classrooms, every day, as we participate in an enthusiastic dialogue with students and colleagues about what engages and excites us in our learning. One of the most important things we have learned from AI is that human systems grow in the direction of what they persistently ask questions about. This propensity is strongest and most sustainable when the means and ends of inquiry are positively correlated. Therefore we have made a commitment to ongoing support for existing sites in order to help their dreams become a reality. Continuous improvement and a renewed focus on learning as our core purpose will not be sustained without time, a continued commitment to ongoing dialogue and adequate resources.

9 Filleul and Rowland Page 9 References Bushe, G.R. (1995) Advances in appreciative inquiry as an organization development intervention. Organization Development Journal, 13:3, Chosen as one of the ten best articles ever published in the Organization Development Journal and reprinted in (1999) Special Issue: The Best of the OD Journal in the 20th Century, 17:2, Reprinted in Coopperrider, D., Sorensen, P., Whitney, D. and Yeager, T (eds.) Appreciative Inquiry: Rethinking Human Organization Toward a Positive Theory of Change. Champaign, IL: Stipes, Frank J. Barrett & Ronald E. Fry. Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity. Chagrin Falls, Ohio: Taos Institute Publications, Mary Filleul, Lynn Green & Barbara Rowland. The Learning & Development Initiative: Report & Recommendations to District Management Team. Vancouver School Board. June 6, 2006 The Learning Framework. Vancouver School Board, Linda Kaser & Judy Halbert. School Leadership - Important Work. CSML Leadership Program Overview. An Evidence Informed Leadership Program for BC Educators. BC Educational Leadership Research. May 2006 Diana Whitney & Amanda Trosten-Bloom. The Power of Appreciative Inquiry. A Practical Guide to Positive Change. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc. 2003

10 Filleul and Rowland Page 10